Garment



G. E. DICKSON.

GARMENT.

APPLICATIQN FILED Nov.25. 1914.

1,194,969. Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. DIGKSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GARMENT.

Application filed November 25, 1914.

T all 2071072.? it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. Dronson, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garments, of which tion and there securing them by simply grasping one of the flaps and moving same to closed position and there fastening it.

Again the object of my invention is to provide a. slit seat overlapping fiapped gar ment of simple. cheap and durable construction in which the hitherto objectionable dislocation and disarrangeinont of the flaps n use may be prevented and in which the flaps when closed will always present a smooth contact surface to the body.

My invention consists generally in the arrangement, construction and cooperation of the parts whereby the objects named above, and others which will appear hereinafter, are attained;

My invention will he more readily understood by: reference to the accompany g drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof and in which Figure 1 is rear view of a garment embodying my invention showing seat in closed condition; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the seat in open position; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed. view of the seat portion showing the flaps spread hack, better to disclose the construction of the closing means; Fig.4 is a detailed view showing a modified form of my inventionj Fig. 5 is a=. perspective. view of the flap tie band connec- Specification of Letters Patent.

proper closed position.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Serial No. 874,026.

tion detached; Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the tie band guide or change direction device shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; Fig. 7 is a detail view of the slightly modified form'of tie band guide shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 showing the construction of the eye; and Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional detail view showing the button hole construction of the outer flap of both forms depicted.

The so-called union suit under-garment is extensively used, and the type generally used is provided with a slit seat and two flap portions secured to the garment at that place and positioned so that one can overlap the other to close the slit. The free edge of the outer flap is generally, though not always, removably secured to the body of the garment, by .a button or other suitable fastening means, and it is thereby held in The under flap however, cannot be easily secured by such means and it is customary to depend upon its shape, position and texture to hold it in closed position. The factis that the under flap, even thoughit be placed in proper position to present a smooth flap conforming generally to the outer stretched or positioned f ap soon becomes displaced, folded or rolled to the discomfort andv annoyance of the wearer. I am aware that attempts have been made t o obviate this objectionable dis-' placement of the underflap but the means suggested have either been impractical because of the extra labor required, the inaccessibility of the parts, or for other reasons have proven not to be adapted to the purpose of such a garment. Hence the result, as before stated, that the under-garment of the union suit type in general use is simply provided with overlapping flaps, the outer one of which may be or may not be fastened in place, but the under one of which is free and invariably becomes displaced and (lisarranged in use.

I have devised simple means for posi-.

tively closing and holding the under flap in proper closed condltion which'mea-ns are at once inexpensive to produce, easy to apply and which when applied require no extra.-

labor on the part of the user. words. all the labor required is that of moviug the outer flap to closed position and there securing the same in the hitherto customary manner, the under flap being automatically moved to closed position and there firmly held against displacement.

Having thus described the general objects, purposes, and construction of my invention I shall now describe, in detail, the preferred embodiments herein illustrated. Referring to the drawings for this purpose 1 represents the under-garment generally, and 2 the seat portion. The seat is provided with a slit 3 and with flaps 4 and .5 which are secured to the body of the-garment and positioned to overlap and thereby close the slit. For convenience I shall call the flap 4 the under flap and the flap .5 the over fiap.

To the body portion of the garment about centrally of theover flap but spaced inwardly therefrom I secure a device 5*, having an eye 5 and therethrough I pass a tie member 6. One end 7*, of the member I secure to the edge 3 of the under flap, the other end, 8, I secure to the outer edge 4: of the over flap. Thus when the flaps are in the open position shown in Fig. 2 and the over flap is moved to the right, the under flap is automatically pulled to the left. All that is necessary is simply-to grasp the flap 5 in the usual manner, move it to closed position and there secure it tothe button, 7, or other suitable fastening means. When a button is used for this purpose I provide a button hole 9 in the flap 5 to coact therewith. I preferably make the strip (3 of flat, thin but strong fabric so that it will lie flat against the body. The end 8 I fold over the edge e of the flap 5 and thereby make a reinforcement or strengthening piece for the buttonhole as well as a substantial connection for the band.

Instead of making the, device 5" of the construction shown in Figs. 1-, 2, 3, and 5 I may make it as shown in Figs. 4:, 7 and S. In this instance I provide a tab 10 of strong fabric and adjacent one end thereof I form an elongated eye 11. This eye is preferably provided with a metal lining, 12, so that the tieband will slide freely therein and I also prefer to sink the metal lining below the surface of the strip thus providing a space 12 and preventing the metal from touching the body. This tab is sewed to the body of the garment, as indicated by the dotted lines 13, (Fig. 7) leaving a free end portion 14.

Some people desire that the under-garment shall be a close-fitting one throughout. Such a tit is attainable with my improved construction and if desired the flaps may be put under slight tension. even when the wearer occupies an upright position. The

texture of most of the under-garments is a In other danger of tearing or breaking the goodson straining or injuring the band connecting the flaps when bending. 'With thisin mind I have devised a modified form of my invention to obviate this objection, and Fig. 4: illustrates the idea. I have therein indicated parts similar to those already described in the previous figures with the same reference numerals and as the connection between the flaps is or may be identical it need not be, again described. In the flap 4: I provide an insert, 15, composed of knitted or other fabric which is relatively expansible, and the end 16 of the flap connecting band I preferably secure to the expansible insert by means of a large tab portion 17 so that the pulling effort will be stretched over a considerable area and thereby prevent tearing or unduly stretching the expansible fabric. With such construction when the band is made taut and the flaps are thus stretched smoothly and fitted'snugly to the wearer when in an up-v right position, the body may be freely moved without danger of tearing or injuring any 'of the parts because of the yielding action of the expansible or yieldable insert. The yieldable insert will of course assume its initial condition when relieved of the extra tension. I

The flaps of my garment may be secured to the body portion in the hitherto custo1uary manner if desired, 71. 5., with the upper parts, "20, spaced from the center of the slit and sewed to the body of the garment as indicated by the dotted lines '21. This construction is necessary in the garments hitherto devised in order to get any action tending to hold the flaps closed. Vith my garment however, such a construction is not necessary because the device 5 serves to hold the inner flap firmly in closed position when the outer flap occupies the closed position as well as serving to change the direction of motion of the flap tie band. I prefer to make the garment with the flaps terminating substantially centrally of the slit. Such a construction is cheaper, the garment is less likely to tear at that point and the flaps may be more freely opened than with the oversewed type.

As this disclosure will readily suggest to others. modified structure wherewith the substantial objects of my invention. may be obtained I-do not wish to be limited to the specific construction and arrangement herein shown and described, except as may be means connecting the flap portions and operating, when one flap is moved in one direction, to move the other in the opposite direction.

v 2. A garment having a slit seat, flap portions secured to the body of the garment and positioned to overlap and close the slit, means connecting thefiap portions whereby movement of one flap in one direction moves the other flap in the opposite direction, and means for fastening one of the flaps in closed position.

3. A garment having a slit seat, overlapping flap portions positioned to close the slit, means connecting vthe flaps whereby movement of one flap in one direction moves the other flap in the opposite direction and operating to hold one of the flaps in, closed position when the other is-secured in closed position.

4. A garment having a slit seat, overlapping flap portions closing same, means tying the fiaps together and operating to move one .flap in a direction opposite to that in which the other is moved, a fastening device on the body of the garment and means on one of the flaps for co-acting therewith tohold the flap in closed position, the end of said tying means forming. a reinforcement for the flap where it coacts with said fastening device on the body portion.

5. A garment having a slit seat therein, flap portions secured to the body portion and adaptedto overlap to close the slit, an eye secured to the inner side of thebody portion of the garment adjacent one of the" flaps, a tie band threaded therethrough and having its end portions attached respectively slit, means connected ,to each of. said flap portions whereby movement of one flap in one direction moves the other flap in the op-. posite direction, and a yieldable insert to which one end of said means is secured.

8. A garment having a slit seat, flap portions attachedto the body of the garment and positioned to overlap close the slit, a yieldable insert secured in the inner flap,

means tying the flap portions together and operating to move. one flap in a direction opposite to that in which the other is moved,

said means being secured at one end to said flexible insert and at the other end to the edge of the over flap.

9. A garment having a slit seat, flap portions attached to the body of'the garment and arranged to overlap to close the slit, a yieldable insert secured in thev inner flap, a tie band secured at one end to said yieldable insert, passing through an eye on the garment and-the other end being doubled and connected tothe edge of the over flap, a fastening device secured to the body of the garment adjacent the edgeof the over flap when in closed positionand.complementary fastening means in the edge of the-over flap where the said end'portion ofv the tie mem her is secured.

10. A garment of relatively inexpansible material, a slit seat therein, overlapping flap portions adapted'to close the slit, a change direction tie connection between the edge portions of the flaps, whereby movement of one flap in one direction moves the other flap in the opposite direction, and a relatively expansible insert portion in one of the flaps to which one end of said tie band connection is secured. I

11. Agarm'ent having a sht seat, overlapping flap portions for closing the.,s am e in combination with a tie band connecting the flap portions, and a fiat fabric device secured to the garment having a metallic eye through which the tie band is threaded.

12. A device for garments comprising a metallic eye secured in fabric and counter-.

sunk to prevent metal from touching the body of the user. I

13. A device for garments comprising a flat fabric tab, a metallic eye' secured therein, said eye being set below the surface of the fabric. I i 14. A, unionsuit having a posterior opening--closed inner and outer flaps, and means connected to each of said fiaps wherey drawing overthe outer flap to close the posterior opening draws the inner flap in the opposite direction. 15. A union suit having a posterior opening closed byinner and outer flaps, a connecting tape attachedto the innerand' outer flaps, andan .eyefon the 'garment through which the tape runs, said tape and eye being so arranged that drawing thefouter'flap into.

position to close the posterior'openi'ng draws the innerflap into closed position, and drawing the inner flap to open the posterioropening draws the outer flap into opened position.

16 A union suit'having a posterior openingand inner and outer overlapping fiaps,.a tape attached to the 'free edges of the inner and outer flaps, and an eye on-the garment finwmg'h which the tape runs, said tape be 191%, in the presence of two subscribing Witmg of such length that the closed outer flap messes.

holds the inner flap substantially in smooth GEORGE E. DIGKSON. closed position. \Vitnesses:

5 Tn testimony whereof, I have hereunto ARTHUR WM. NELSON,

set. my hand, this 10th day of November, JOHN R. LEFEVRE.

Comes of this patent may be efi'tained for five cents each, by addressing the ffiommissiener 0% Eateme,

Washington, I). G. 

